Anarchism and the modern GOP

[nadinbrzezinski]

Anarchism is a political philosophy which considers the state undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, and instead promotes a stateless society, or anarchy.<1><2> Anarchists seek to diminish or even abolish authority in the conduct of human relations,<3> but widely disagree on what additional criteria are essential to anarchism. According to The Oxford Companion to Philosophy, "there is no single defining position that all anarchists hold, and those considered anarchists at best share a certain family resemblance."<4>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarchism

Think Grover Norquist and his Starve the Beast message... and drowning the government in a bathtub

[provis99]

1. I think they are more like nihilists.

They just want to deliberately destroy everything for the pleasure it gives them.

[ZombieHorde]

5. They're not nihilists; they're mostly Christians. nt

[damntexdem]

2. Anarchists are socialist libertarians.

Republicans are drawn to capitalist libertarianism.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Norquist fits the definition to a T

like libertarians it ranges from far left to far right, but that is because they are very close cousins as you point out. VERY CLOSE indeed.

[brooklynite]

4. It only seems to apply at the national level...

Even conservatives seem to abide by the local or, at most County Govt.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Yep correct

and i think it reveals splits in the party...

[Old and In the Way]

6. Would promoting a fiscal policy that's designed to overthrow the government

be a form of legislative treason? If they take an oath to defend and protect the US of A, how does a systematic policy of starving it for revenue not be tantamount to overseeing its destruction? We are fast approaching the point of where this will hasten the demise of this nation...I'd really like to see people start questioning the true allegiance of this Party - is it to the country or a few selected corporations that are financing their agenda?

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. We are moving to that tipping point IMHO

[arbusto_baboso]

9. Sure. It's always easier to steal in times of chaos.

That is one of the lessons history teaches us.

[ZombieHorde]

10. I think you misunderstand the GOP. They don't dislike the government, they dislike helping the poor.

The GOP loves government. They love war. They love cops. They love the war on drugs. They love constitutional amendments banning gay marriage. They love government, except when it is helping poor people.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Actually readying the Norquist pledge

no, they don't... they like PRIVATE services, and all private, they hate government.

[ZombieHorde]

14. They do like privatizing to help increase the gap between the rich and the poor.

They love government when it harms people; e.g., gay marriage bans, the war on drugs, arresting illegal immigrants, kicking the homeless out parks, etc.

If you compare the ideology of anarchists, Libertarians, and Republicans, you see the three are very different.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. I will have to ask which Republicans?

Paleo Cons? You are correct.

Modern day Norquiset fans, no, not really...

After readying Conservatives without a conscience, it was clear we have at least seven major groups of "republicans." And a large sub group are indeed ANARCHISTS, while another sub-group is Libertarian, btw. The dominant group right now is the anarchist group... I wish it were the Ike Conservatives... alas them are not the ones in power. In fact they are a species in danger of extinction.

Alas that is the problem with the US Political system... our two major parties contain in their midsts the seeds of at least four major parties,

[krabigirl]

19. The GOP and the Dems are both very authoritarian, except for their disdain for the needy.

[PATRICK]

12. That is not what is going on

Seems like classic extreme right reaction to being out of power and government dominated by their opposite interests. They go paranoid and nuts after: losing a war, losing great power, seeing rivals overturn their agenda. Literally nuts, practically anarchistic in their determination both to destroy and make the leftists patsies for any compromise and service to order(just or unjust). We see it in the extreme bitterness and undermining done by the German militarists after WWI. The Depression was very good for them AND the Soviet threat as well. In Greece today the Conservatives seem to be fighting for a meltdown while at least making patsies out of the majority Socialists "forced" to serve the crisis of capitalism. The moderates in Russia after the revolt(WWI) disastrously continuing participation in the war because of the Allies and their never materialized benefits. The Bolsheviks did very well in the meltdown of the moderate revolution and the ensuing civil war and death dealing repression.

Once on the road to power they shed "anarchy" for absolute control but the pendulum indeed is the scythe over their own necks. It makes anarchists look in practice like consistent idealists and no way as dangerous as the hypocritical opposite maddened to do anything to BE the supreme order above all. Sanity is best observed in how they keep their self profiting skills and money. Government in that focus is their tool and plaything, a toy to fight over.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Forgive me, but the right was out of power in 2000-2008

who knew?

In fact, they controlled all three branches of power for a while there.

[PATRICK]

15. ?

Seems more like fascism than anarchy when they go about building their own model tyranny. Ultimately, bad government is anarchy as far as chaos goes. The ideologue anarchists, probably less conflicted than GOP leaning libertarians seem to intend actually a better civil society, as the actual historical movements strangely go. Any madness or tag will do to appease the RW hunger and it isn't at all about freedom and justice.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. Read onto inversted totaliatiarism

Democracy Inc is a must read... but there are strong elements of anarchism, and yes strong elements of fascism... and that goes for BOTH parties.

[PATRICK]

20. OK

It is a puzzle to me probably because of the systemic disorder and madness just to maintain undeserved positions of power and incompetent pretensions. Most frustrating is that Dems are not just humoring their extreme foes but echoing some of the real bad stuff from corruption to disastrous, unjust policy. That seems even beyond the trapped patsies who seemed to have better reasoning in other countries, other times, for seeking the stability the other side gets to define and upset at will. When it completely falls apart, voila, anarchy. When it is a fake facade over a gutted civil society it is anarchy wearing a pitiful mask, but you still have the post apocalyptic king building his pyramid out of bones.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Correct, problem is that none of these deffinions

work 100% when looking at real people, Grover can and is an anarchist and a fascist at the same time. Yes, they seem to be 100% in opposition but they manage that one.

But as to the political system I highly recommend that book. It fits even better than any other political science definition. And we did not have a definition of Fascism until Mussolini came along... hell nor did we have one of Anarchism until the late 19th century. Some of this is really that new.

Oh and liberal and conservative meant different things back in the 19th century too

[PATRICK]

22. Yes I'm getting too esoteric

when the simple explanation is the predictability of which material the RW favors and which it prefers to co-opt or subvert in its single-minded goal for their topdown profiteering rule of the globe. If it does harm they like it because harm at least can work for them and them alone. Doing good means sharing or enabling others to profit, others who are better at building up. "Real world" people who compromise with that destructiveness as the normal state of affairs really screw up any possibility of getting to first base with a civil society- or some rationality.

Power players consider themselves modern thinkspeak rewriters, but the political methods, the actions, the results are just plain old with varying degrees of disaster.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. No you are not, and some of the tecniques

go back to Plato's Republic, which is all but a free place... accidentally, I don't think Bachman has read it fully, she parrots some of the things in Plato's republic

[krabigirl]

18. Well, society and both parties are pretty damn authoritarian right now.

Leaning a bit the other way would be nice for a change IMO,especially for social issues and civil liberties.

[Scruffy1]

24. This is silly.

The GOP is not about limiting government. It;s about control of the money and the people. Government has always grown and been more authoritarian under GOP control. What they really like is privatization of government functions so they can increase crony capitalism

[LeftyMom]

25. I suspect you misunderstand anarchism. By a lot.

I'm not an anarchist, but I know a lot of people who are, and they all make me look like a right winger. ;)

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. I know plenty of left wing libertarians

that make me look like a right winger... these two are as broad based as can be

[LeftyMom]

27. Suspicion confirmed.

:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. Whatever dude

read the definition of anarchism... and also of libertarianism.

By the way my take is not mine, is a political science take.

[LeftyMom]

29. Wikipedia isn't where grown-ups do their research.

Read actual primary sources and it'll back me up on this one.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. Yes like any dictionalry of political science

whatever, have a good life, good bye

[LeftyMom]

31. "dictionary of political science"???

That's not a primary source, that's the kind of thing people consult when they're too lazy to read a primary source. Seriously, if you want to understand what Anarchists believe you should probably listen to Anarchists. Here's a good start: http://www.akpress.org/2005/topics/Anarchism